Classic Kids' Books That NEED To Be Made Into Action Movies

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Have you ever re-read one of your favorite books from childhood and thought, "Wow, that would make a great action movie!"? And then written a brilliant script for that imaginary movie? And then sent said script to several production companies, all of whom decided to take a collective vow of silence to further their spiritual needs (because why else would they not answer back?!)?

Oh good, so it's not just me. Anyway, below is a list of 8 awesome kid books that we think Warner Bros. should hurry up and buy the rights to, and then make into huge, awesome, spectacular hits.

Take your Smaugs and Orcs and Necromancers and push them off Mount Doom. There is no enemy more insidious, no foe more cruel, no adversary more formidable than a bad day. As Alexander encounters everything from gum in his hair, to tripping over his skateboard, to people kissing on TV, we imagine the bad day looking like a Dark Shadow Imp ten feet tall, and Alexander's attempts to escape to Austrailia an epic journey. Now the only question is, animated or live action—OR, wait for it—a mix of both?

This has been made into an animated movie already, but re-makes are all the rage now, and we think Harold and his Purple Crayon deserve to be re-cast and filmed in 3D for the 21st century audience. Basically, Harold has a magic crayon. He. Creates. Worlds. If that's doesn't scream "action blockbuster starring Joseph Gordon Levitt," we don't know what does.

WHY HAVEN'T ALL OF THESE BOOKS BEEN MADE INTO FILMS?They have knights! They have dragons! They have time travel and magic and flying carpets! These books are as epic as anything by C.S. Lewis and frankly, the main characters are far more likeable. I'd much rather be Jane, Mark, Katherine, or Martha from Half Magic than any of the Pevensie children. Just sayin'.

Frankly, it's shocking that this classic, best-selling children's book by Lois Lowry hasn't made it to the silver screen. Set in a dystopia, protagonist Jonas is chosen to bear the burden of the most important role in his Community: being the next Giver. What he learns in taking on the role makes him question not only himself, but the very society in which he has lived his entire life. Plus, it features a daring, harrowing escape. As for casting, we think Asa Butterfield would make a fantastic Jonah.

Norman Juster's novel on words, imagination, and what it means to be human was made into a movie in 1970. However, we don't think that version did it justice. Attention, Pixar: this needs to be your next project. This imaginative, lively, humorous, wacky story is a project that is dying to be animated in 3D.

It's a classic underdog story exactly like The Mighty Ducks, except instead of kids, there are train cars, and instead of a hockey championship, it's a really tall mountain. A. Mountain. Get Peter Jackson to direct and it will be a 3-hour-long epic shot in New Zealand with the lives of toys in the balance. Hey, it already has a tagline: "I think I can, I think I can!"

No children's book list would be complete without a work by Roald Dahl. There was a 1989 animated film made of this novel, but we think with CG and current movie magic technology, there could be a rockin' version with actual actors. The quest of The Big Friendly Giant and Sophie to save the children of England from evil giants Bonecruncher and Co. would be an edge of your seat thriller--especially if, oh, say Chris O'Dowd was cast as the BFG.

We'd love to see any of these movies hit the big screen! What classic kids' book do you think should be made into an action film?